Mon, 03 Mar 2008

The 2000-Year-Old Computer (and Other Achievements of Ancient Science)

I went to Ask A Scientist on February 26, and heard an interesting pair of presentations by Richard Carrier at Columbia. The topic was the various achievements of ancient science.

I wrote some notes on the back of my receipt. Direct quotes from him are between quotation marks.

He likes the word "kooky".
"chunk of junk"
Archimedes' Codex is an exemplar of science being overwritten with hymns in the middle ages.
On Ptolemy's system of epicycles: "The model worked really well. That's why they were so seduced by it."
When asked about politics of science: "I can't off the top of my head think of an interesting story." (Note that he did, in fact, come up with one.)
He pronounces "dissection" as if it were "disection."

I also wrote this down, purely my own creation:

"Amazing what middle schoolers know that the Ancients did not."

[] permanent link and comments

Asheeshworld Notes you will like

Mon, 03 Mar 2008

The 2000-Year-Old Computer (and Other Achievements of Ancient Science)